


A Cosmetics Commercial: Redux

by AkisMusicBox



Category: Skip Beat!
Genre: Confessions, Don't copy to another site, Eavesdropping, F/M, It's just a stage slap, No actual physical violence, Plot Twists
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-08
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2020-02-28 13:12:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18757126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkisMusicBox/pseuds/AkisMusicBox
Summary: Kyoko nearly loses a job when her co-star quits. Ren agrees to step in, only to find out it'll involve Kyoko getting to slap him!This time, the story switches between Kanae and Kyoko's perspectives, as suggested by brenna_kai!





	1. Kyoko's Stages of Grief

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Cosmetics Commercial](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18563902) by [AkisMusicBox](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AkisMusicBox/pseuds/AkisMusicBox). 



Kanae sighed as she watched Kyoko go through her stages of grief. She already went through anger, cursing, and spellcasting, and finally settled into the depression stage.

Kyoko was kneeling on the floor, pounding her fist on the ground and sobbing, "This was going to be it, Moko! A! Cosmetics! Commercial! Gone!"

Kanae rolled her eyes. "There are thousands of cosmetics in the world. They all need commercials, there's nothing special about this one!"

"MOOOKKOOO!" she cried, flinging her head up to stare at the ceiling. "I was going to be beautiful! Powerful!" She deflated and hit the ground one more time.

Even Kyoko's depression was loud, so it didn't surprise Kanae when Ren Tsugura burst into the LoveMe room, a panicked look on his face. How the whole building wasn't here to see what wild animal was dying is kind of surprising. Yukihito Yashiro peeked out from behind Ren's large form to see what was happening, but his view was quickly unobstructed when Ren fell to his knees in front of Kyoko. _There he goes. The White Knight, here to save the day._ Kanae had gotten used to Tsugura's constant attempts to swoop in and fix what was wrong, but the idea that he was doing it out of affection for his kohai was wearing thin. _I know he has a dark side. I know about the Demon Lord and the King of the Night. So I don't trust the schitck._

She had also gotten fairly accustomed to Yashiro's reactions. It was like Tsugura had a constant audience, silently cheering when he went to Kyoko's aid, and staring daggers at him when he was callous. Yashiro's eyes were full of glee. Kanae shot him a look, and Yashiro blanched appropriately, but still had the smallest grin as he watched.

"Are you hurt, Mogami? What's wrong?" Tsugura reached a tentative hand towards Kyoko.

"My...my commercial. It fell through. The main actor dropped and we were supposed to be filming today!"

"I'll do it!" Ren offered without a thought. "I'll have Yashiro arrange it. I'm done for the day so it will be no problem."

Kanae gritted her teeth. _He doesn't even know what it's for!_ Yashiro was practically beaming while he pulled his rubber gloves out of his pocket, and grabbed his cell phone.

Kyoko recoiled. "You can't! No, I mean - it's not right! I can't...I can't possibly..."

Kanae groaned. "Fine, since Kyoko's going to take forever to spit it out. It's a cosmetic commercial, which she's always wanted to do. The script was originally written for the main character to finally get to kiss the boy she's been pining after, but the director changed it due to pressure from the cosmetic company. The actor quit because the 'kiss' became a 'slap'. The boy rejects the girl, the girl gets the makeup, and then, the courage to slap the boy right in the face. The actor has been trying to get more romantic lead roles, and he backed out because he thought this would ruin his chances."

Tsugura's face was expressionless at the news, but Kanae caught him swallowing. _He's hesitating. He doesn't want to do it. He doesn't want to be slapped by Kyoko._ Her first instinct said _he probably deserves it somehow_ , but then she remembered that this was a minor, low budget commercial. Ren Tsugura doesn't have to be anywhere near it if he doesn't want to be.

_Kyoko has him wrapped around her little finger and doesn't even know it._

"Well, that actor is incredibly unprofessional," Tsugura said firmly. "To quit a job at the last minute for his own vanity is unacceptable. If the director agrees, I'll do it."

"Are...are you sure?" Kyoko asked tentatively. "It might not be very flattering for you, either."

He almost snorted. "After playing Katsuki? This is fairly benign in comparison."

"Yashiro?" Tsugura called, eyes narrowing and tone dropping. "You're suspiciously quiet. Do you have thoughts on the matter?"

Yashiro rifled through his briefcase with glee. "It's nothing! Just checking the schedule at the studio today. Kyoko-chan, who is the director?"

_I'll need to call my sister and reschedule taking the kids to the park. I can't miss this._


	2. Straight To Hell

It was easy for Kyoko to show Anna finding strength when she discovered the foundation. _That walk was the same one I did when I cut and dyed my hair. Well, a bit less full of vengeance._ It gave her plenty of time to study the script changes - it had been reprinted when the kiss became a slap, but there wasn't time to do that when Ren Tsugura was added as the male lead, and the director's notes were brief and sloppy. She buried her head in her hands.

_I have to get this right. Ren is doing me a huge favor, but...what does this even mean? How do you fake a slap?_

She should have learned this at the acting school, but the chaos of Box "R" filming meant she never had time to practice. She sat up and bit her thumb. _I can't waste his time! Just calm down and read it again from the top._

As if her distressed had summoned him, she heard Ren call, "Mogami-san?"

She bolted to attention, embarrassment coursing through her. "I'm sorry! Were you talking to me? I was in my own head, sorry! I can't figure this out."

He gave her a small smile. "I only just started. Let me take a look." He frowned when he saw what page she was on. "You're skipping ahead to the slap? You know we're doing the rejection next?"

_I'm not that stupid!_ she wanted to retort, but she held her tongue. _Huge. Favor. He's doing me a huge favor._ She nodded. "I can get rejected. I'm familiar with that. I just...I've never done a stage slap."

He was almost amused. "Didn't your instructor teach you at the acting school?"

"I missed half of the lesson because of filming with Box 'R'," she admitted, swatting away a few of her grudges. "And the way I changed Natsu meant I didn't work with the stunt coordinator as much."

"Understandable." The grudges bolted as he leaned over her to examine the script. It took her a moment to catch her breath. He pointed to a note on the script. "This means the scene will be shot from behind my head. That'll make it a lot easier to make it seem real and do it safely. Also, see here? The director changed it so I'd be sitting during this scene, so you'll be able to strike downward, and I'll be able to knap down low."

"Knap?" she asked, trying to jog her memory. She'd sworn she knew the term, but she became distracted when she caught his scent. It was something woodsy and warm, like cedar or mahogany. Part of her mind was trying to figure out where she had smelled it before, and it hit her - his bathroom, several times, when she's bathed at his house, and when she had walked in on him, _twice_.

_You can't think about Setsu now! Stop!_

He held his hands low to his side, one palm hovering above the other. In one moment, he was perfectly still, and in the next, his hands clapped and his head jerked downward as if an invisible hand struck him. She almost expected his cheek to be red as he straightened.

"The sound of the impact, right!" she said with a smile. "But also, that was uncannily real, and I watched the whole thing." How did he do that?

"Do you want to do a run-through?" he asked. "Switch me places."

He took her chair, and she stood in front of him. "Which hand will you be slapping with?"

She held out her right hand. He took it with both of his and touched it to his cheek. Her hand quivered at his touch. _This is not how a good student acts! Focus!_

"We're not actually going to be making contact during this scene, that's the benefit of just the right camera angle. Your hand will actually be about ten centimeters away from my face." He let go of her so she could take a step backward.

"Okay, let's break it down. You'll strike from the upper-right, and make 'contact' with my face. My face will go from a neutral position to sharply down and to the left. I'll knap down on the left as well. Your hand will need to follow through, down and to the left on the same path. You'll need to show your reaction when I'm down - absorbing the sight of my character's defeat, while also showing the camera."

"O-okay," Kyoko said, biting back her concern. _My reaction, for just striking the air? And what if I don't strike the air? Oh GOD what if I actually HIT HIM? Is it possible to dogeza yourself so low that you go straight to hell?_

"Let's try it once," he suggested. "If we get the first one out of the way, we can practice again after this next scene. It should help you clear your head."

"I can try," was all she could manage. I have to do this right. I'm angry at him. He betrayed me, he led me along, he - No! Anna. Reiji betrayed Anna. For once, Kyoko couldn't summon her anger. Her grudges had retreated, and there was nothing in her heart that could convince her that Ren Tsugura was toying with her. Not today. For the life of her, she couldn't bring herself to picture him as Reiji. She had tortured herself in the past, knowing Ren deserved someone better than her. I just...don't have the energy to summon that image. Not right now.

Ren gave her a smirk. "Come on, Mogami. I know I've done plenty to make you angry. This is the perfect time to take out that frustration on the one that caused it. Show me what you really think." He propped his elbow on the armrest and leaned smugly, and a glint of the Demon Lord peeked from his lashes. "Or do you think so very little of your senpai that you don't want to give it your all? Have you gotten lazy?"

That struck a fire in her. _What did you accuse me of, Demon Lord?! I'll banish you!_

Her grudges returned to her to huddle around the flames of her anger. She clenched a fist. "Let's do it!"

"Careful!" he chortled as the Lord took the hint and fled. "Use a loose, open hand. It'll be more natural that way, and less...painful if it goes wrong." He sat up straight. His eyes unfocused for a moment, and when they found Kyoko again, they were surprised.

Bemused, Reiji leaned back in his chair. "Anna! I'm...surprised to see you. I hope you're - !"

Without hesitation, Kyoko raised her arm. I'll banish you too, Reiji! Snarling, she struck the air, and Reiji went down. The crack of his hands sounded through the studio, and he clutched his face, wincing. Kyoko spared only a glance at Reiji's crumpled form. Don't doubt me again!

When he rose, Ren was back. "Did that help?"

Kyoko smiled. "Yes! That was amazing, it felt so natural!" She gave him a quick bow. "You're an excellent teacher!"

There was a tinge of bitterness in his voice when he said, "I'm glad you're feeling better. Though you might want to switch to naive optimism, they are almost done setting the scene."


	3. Clear As A Bell

Kanae was torn. _Tsugura is a professional. However, the way he was able to conjure Reiji, without a second thought...I don't know._

A pained gasp escaped Kyoko as she sunk to the floor.

"Cut! That was amazing!" the director called. "'One-take Tsugura', indeed! And Kyoko, your reaction was so authentic! Uh...Kyoko?

Kyoko was still on the floor, shaking. Tsugura kneeled in front of her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "One moment!" he called to the director.

"Mogami-san? Mogami, the scene's over. Can you come back to me? Reiji's gone. Anna can leave as well."

Kyoko jerked to attention, locking eyes with him. He smiled. "There you are."

She scrambled to her feet, bowing to the director. "I'm so sorry! Sometimes I get lost in the character. I don't want to hold us up!"

The director scoffed. "We're way ahead of schedule now. Please, take a break while we change the set!"

Kanae crossed her arms. _He did just pull her back from her fantasy world...he does seem to know her._ "Did I miss the slap? Bummer," she called from the far side of the studio with a smirk.

"Moko-san!" Kyoko hollered.

"Mogami-san, we need to go back and fix your makeup," an assistant said. "You need to be pristine for your next shot. You too, Tsugura-san. We'll have your artist meet you in your dressing room." Kyoko hurtled towards Kanae towed her along to her dressing room.

Normally, Kanae would have fought the display, but she only threw up a, "Hey, get off of me!" on their progress to the dressing rooms. She noticed that Tsugura's room was next to Kyoko's. _If she would have realized that, she'd have been mad at herself for being rude, taking off and leaving him in the dust._

"Moko-san!" she chastised. "He is doing me a huge favor! And if I screw this up, I could actually hurt him!"

"Hurt him? He's huge! And unless you're wielding a knife, I'm doubtful you'd do much damage!"

Kyoko bit her lip. _Normally, she'd be insulted. Insist her hands were finely trained weapons that could end any man's life in seconds._

"Bet you're wishing the director would switch back to a kiss now, don't you?" Kanae said, trying to evoke the real Kyoko. Instead, Kyoko's face turned an impressive shade of crimson.

"The slap gave me an excellent opportunity to learn about stage fighting! It's a great skill to add to my acting repertoire," she managed.

"It's not nice to lie to your best friend," Kanae pushed. "Or are we?"

"Moko!" Kyoko cried, sinking to her knees. "Please. Stop. I can't take this. I can't take Yashiro, President Takarada, and you pushing me to pursue him. I can't."

It pained Kanae to see Kyoko defeated.

"You all suggest things that are going to drive him away. The closer we get, the more chances he has to see exactly how pathetic and ordinary I am. And when he sees that, he'll leave me. I know his heart already belongs to someone else, but at least I can be his student. He'll always care about people who try, and that's all I can ask for. So please, stop encouraging me to do something that will make him leave. And stop using our friendship to pressure me! That's you saying no matter what, I'm going to lose one of you!

"Tsugura has been there for me. Even when he hated me, he pushed me to not act out of revenge. Even when my mom...somehow he was there. And I can't take it if I do something to make him go away."

Kanae knew that she personally was a bit overconfident, but Kyoko was abysmally self-deprecating. _It doesn't even register to her that he might like her._ Anger welled inside of her. _Fuwa really did a number on her. I'll make him pay for that someday._

But today wasn't that day. Instead, Kanae managed, "You're never going to hear this from me again, so listen closely! I'm sorry I'm mean. In my defense, you're incredibly stubborn and it feels necessary a lot of the time."

Kyoko gave a sad chuckle.

"Plus, what I meant was, you've never staged kissed either. I'm sure he'd have been happy to teach you that."

"Moko!" Kyoko whined. She couldn't summon her whole fury though, as she fought a laugh. "Wait! There was a sale at the store yesterday, so I made something!" Kyoko started rummaging around in her bag when Kanae heard a muffled tapping, followed by a small voice.

Kanae could barely hear a higher voice rattle something off quickly. Panic welled in Kanae as she bolted over to the shared wall and pressed her ear against it.

Clear as a bell, she could hear a deep voice say, "Please, come in."


	4. And She's Still Oblivious

Kyoko came up from her bag, holding two small packages. "Sweet bread! You've got to try it!" She gave Kanae a questioning look. "Wha...what are you doing?"

"Ah...just found my earring!" she covered, cupping her finger over her earlobe and fiddling with the backing.

"Were you even listening, Moko-san? We could make all kinds of things like this if you spent the night at my house!"

Kanae shook her head furiously. "The last thing we need is that many calories."

Music started to play softly from the other side of the wall, and Kanae's fears were confirmed.

_He heard. He heard every word._

Kyoko pouted. "But, we're friends! And if we invite Amamiya as well, we could probably get it to count as a LoveMe activity!"

_And she's...still oblivious. She'd be dying right now if she realized she just confessed to him._

Kanae continued to provoke Kyoko on the slumber party issue to give herself time to think.

_If I tell her the truth, she'll freak out. And she won't stick to her guns, that speech earlier proved it. But Tsugura having all of the cards seems wrong. He's just as guilty for playing these stupid love games. It'd be wrong for me to meddle, wouldn't it? But at the same time, they're both hopeless and keep getting other people involved in their game._

_Fine. I'm literally in the middle of it now, so bring it on._

She leaned against the wall, continuing to put up a fight, and whenever Kyoko's eyes would look away, Kanae put her ear to the wall.

"... made it clear to you that it was him?"

"Love is important...not enough."

" ...clear you were ...only one? "

"... just told me."

_Duh_ , Kanae thought, _but if a stranger telling him the obvious was what was necessary, so be it._

* * *

 

It didn't take long for Kyoko to master the slap. "That's it," Kanae said firmly after a particularly realistic take. "It was...creepy how good that looked."

Once the director got the shots he wanted, the makeup artist used Kyoko's hand as a guide for adding Reiji's slap mark. _You see it, don't you, Tsugura? She's blushing like a fool._

Kyoko stood by Kanae as Tsugura nailed the reaction shot. _Now, she's smiling like a fool. Look, Tsugura, look at her and stop being dense about it._ "Alright, Kyoko, I've got to get headed to a job." Kanae dared a final move. "He's lucky to have you," and she turned and walked away.

"Mo - Moko?" Kyoko called after her.

"I meant it!" she hollered as she hustled out of the studio.


	5. That's Him Being Innocent

_Why was Kanae so weird today?_  Kyoko wondered as she examined the contents of the tote bag. _Holy cow! This one is worth a whole day's worth of work at Darumaya!"_

She startled when she heard Ren ask, "Where's Kotonami-san?"

Heat pricked in her face at his closeness. "She had to leave for another job." She tried to distract herself by complaining. "I wanted to show off though! The company gave me some of their makeup!" She held up a tote bag triumphantly.

He smiled softly. "I might not be the most experienced, but you could try showing off to me?"

No Demon Lord. No King of the Night. Just Ren Tsugura's warmth. Her stomach lurched. _He's talking about makeup! Stop it!_

Her eyes darted back to the bag, and she started babbling about the products, which made him lean in closer. Her face was on fire. Part way through her explanation, he asked "Would you like to grab dinner with me? It'd be a shame to not go out while you're still wearing their products."

_Innocent! That's him being innocent, and it's still going to kill me!_ But the sweet bread had clearly only whet her appetite, so she asked, "Hamburger steak?"

"I was thinking something a bit classier than a diner," he countered. "Somewhere you can show off a bit more."

She scowled. "Why are you teasing me? I've had an extremely long and emotionally draining day! Just because you did save the commercial does not give you free rein to mess with me!"

"Mogami-san, you do look very nice!" He bit his lip.

_What is with him, too? When is he ever this contrite after teasing me?_

"Actually...I know a place," he continued. "It's generally fairly quiet so it might help you relax?"

She watched him carefully and deciding that his words were genuine, conceded. "That would be nice if it's not a place that you have to have reservations."

"I've never needed one," he said with a smile.


	6. Every Spirit Inside Of Her Tried To Rage

Kyoko made a face when they were lead to a dimly lit booth, far away from other customers. A single, short candle flame flickered in the middle of the table, illuminating a small bunch of white roses next to it.

"This is your compromise?" she asked incredulously. "They recognized you! I don't think you fully understand the definition of the word. Most people don't frequent restaurants like this to the point of recognition!"

He shrugged. "I'm not a proficient cook. It's either dine out more frequently or eat at convenience stores."

She sighed. "Fine. But I can teach you, you know!"

"I'll take you up on that when my next role is as a chef."

She could only muster a half-frown at the quip. She had been alone with Ren many times, but even his apartment hadn't felt this intimate before. This felt... auspicious. It was a place where things happened, and Kyoko's heart didn't know if it could bear anything else happening.

_But he promised he brought you here to relax. You are overreacting!_

Their conversation was pleasant, and Kyoko was enchanted by the western-style option on the menu. The pasta she had was incredibly filling. She could almost here Kanae's voice in her head, telling her to not load up on carbohydrates. However, watching her enjoy her meal seemed to encourage Ren to eat his own, so she didn't stop.

He even ordered dessert, to Kyoko's amusement. "You're going to give yourself a stomachache again, Tsugura-san," Kyoko teased.

"Maybe I just wanted to watch you enjoy it," he returned.

She flinched, trying to suppress the surge that went through her. 

"I meant that you worked very hard today. It's not easy to learn a new acting skill and employ it as well as you did. You don't take compliments or rewards well, so I...I guess I tried to be sneaky about it," he explained in earnest.

The surge turned in to a wave. "Oh...oh...well it's only thanks to you!" she covered. "This commercial was beneath you, and to have to do it at the last minute as a favor to me was just... above and beyond, you're truly a professional -"

"Kyoko," he interrupted. She froze again, the use of her first name throwing her off guard. "I wanted to talk to you. But I need you to take everything I say at face value. It is...extremely difficult for me to say what I need to. And it would hurt if you tried to change the meaning of them. So please, will you listen and just...accept what I have to say?" The waves started lapping around her, and she was waiting for them to make her panic. Instead, she was ready for them to carry her under, so she nodded, wide-eyed.

The candlelight only made his expression warmer. "You are...extremely important to me. There have been several instances, personally and professionally, where I have been in a difficult position, and wouldn't have been able to get out of it without your help. I would have never found Katsuki without your help. I wouldn't have been able to control myself as Cain. I was...slipping away, after the car accident. And it was you who brought me back."

She shivered. _Can this be real?_ He looked down at the table cloth, digging his nails into his palms, and somehow that felt more real than anything in the world. "Nobody else has seen the sides of me as you have. Nobody else had the chance. Because I don't let others in. But somehow, I let you in. I trusted you. You need to understand that. Even out of all the girls I've dated..."

He shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing like you. The tabloids don't run stories on me because I'm positively boring. I am nice to the other women I work with, probably to a point where it gets misconstrued. It is terrible to say that the fact that you've seen the uglier pieces of me is a testament to how important you are to me. How much I've let you in. You are special to me, Kyoko-"

Her stomach was now in her throat. Every spirit inside of her tried to rage, tried to tell her that he was lying, tried to tell her he was a cruel tempter, tried to make his words something that could possibly make sense, but once voice silenced them all.

_He asked me not to. He asked me to take him at his word._ And her mind stilled.

"-so when you said you were going to lose a job because some other _guy_ was worried about his ego, it wasn't even a question. Of course, I was going to do it. I intend on being in your life as long as you'll tolerate me, so please...don't think things like that are asking much. After all that you've done for me."

Watching him quiver with emotion brought tears brimming to her eyes. She took his hand, and he managed to look up at her.

"Please," he begged. "There's no one else."

She had never been so relieved. There were plenty of ways for that phrase to be interpreted, plenty of questions she could ask, but they weren't relevant, because those were his words, and Kyoko could brand them on her heart.

Her voice came out as a scared whisper as she squeezed his hand. "I don't want you to leave me. Ever. And...I'm extremely lucky to have your trust." A single tear rolled down her cheek.

He swallowed. Watching his Adam's apple bob made her want to kiss his throat. _Or mark him again._

"Kyoko...I - "

They both jumped as they heard the waiter clear his throat. "My apologies. Crème brûlée?" He set the dessert on the table and left.

It was enough for Kyoko to regain her senses.

She grabbed the two spoons resting on the dish. She offered him one. He reached for her cheek and brushed the tear away before taking it. Her head spinning, she plunged her spoon into the dish, cracking the caramelized top. She took a taste of the cream, and let out a pleased squeak.

"Try it! It's so good, I think it's worth risking the stomachache," she insisted, as a drunk would that they could handle one more drink.

"If you say so." His eyes lit up at the taste, and she couldn't help but be pleased.

He watched her for a moment, before braving, "Can I ask you a favor? Will you...call me Ren? At - at least when we're in private?"

This time, when the rush went through her, she embraced it. She could feel her cheeks burning as she offered, "Only...if you'd...call me Kyoko?"

He seemed truly touched. "I would love too."


End file.
